Shipping case for caskets



G. B. SEXTON.

SHIPPING CASE FOR GASKETS.

PPL CATlON FILED JUNE I5. I920 Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

101 I I I I I Ill 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

I I I E E M Iii M58855; a

G. B. SEXTON.

SHIPPING CASE FOR GASKETS.

APPLlCATION FILED JUNE 15, I920.

1,402,666. I Patented Jan. 3, 1922,, z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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SHIPPING CASE FOR GASKETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan.3,1922;

Application filed June 15, 1920. Serial No. 389,136.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonen B. Snxron, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Asbury Park, in the county of Monmouth and State of NewJersey, have invented a new and Improved Shipping Case for Caskets, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to shipping cases or boxes and has particularreference to fold ing cases especially designed for the shipment ofcaskets or cofiins.

Where it was formerly the practice to bury caskets in the boxes in whichthey were shipped the tendency at the present time is turning toward theuse of cement vaults in which the caskets are placed and due to the highrates of shipping it is impractical to return these cases to thewholesale houses when empty because of the amount of space taken up bythe same.

It is thereforethe principal object of the present invention to producea case of the character described which is capable of being collapsedfor reshipment when empty which will occupy approximately 7 its originalbulk.

A further object of the invention is to provide in connection with acollapsible case of this character a common means for securing the samein its set up and collapsed conditions.

In addition to the above mentioned means, removable elements for holdingthe box in set up condition after thecover has been removed are employedand a further object of the invention resides in the provision ofpockets for the reception of said bolts which are defined by the casewhen in folded condition.

in view some of which will be apparent hereafter, reference is made tothe following descriptlon, cla1ms and the accompanying Figure 5 is aperspective view of the case illustrating the same in itscollapsibleconditlon.

Figure 6 1s a transverse sectional view therethrough taken approximatelyon the line 6-6 of Figure 7.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional View therethrough takenapproximately on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference which denote likeparts throughout the several views thereof, the bottom of the casedesignated generally by the character 10 is provided with the sidecleats or runners 11 on the underside thereof which reduces the frictionin sliding the case while handling the game. The bottom of the case maybe of any construction, but as illustrated includes the skeleton. framework which supports a metallic panel 12. The side members of the casepreferably include the permanent sections 13 which are rigidly securedor formed on the bottom at right angle thereto, and the foldablesections 14- which are hinged to the permanent sections as at 15 forinward swinging movement. The foldable sections like the bottom, arepreferably constructed of a skeleton frame work and the metallic panels16. The end members 17 are hinged for inwardly swinging movement as at18 to the upstanding cleats or ribs 19 provided at the ends of thebottom, and the same are preferably constructed of a skeleton frame worksupporting the metallic panel 20. The inner side of the free extremityof each end member 17 is provided with a transverse cleat 21 spaced fromthe edge thereof to provide a shelf for supporting the ends of the cover22 when the case is in its set up condition. The cleat 21 alsoconstitutes means for supporting the free extremity of the end memberswhen folded to space the same from the bottom to provide the pocket Pwhich is defined by the rib 19, cleat 21, end member 20, bottom 10 andthe permanent side sections 13. The cleat 21 is of a width substantiallyequal to the rib 19 in order to effect a parallel arrangement of the endmember 20 with respect to the bottom when folded. The cover 22 is alsoof a skeleton frame work closed by the metallic panel 23. The oppositeends of thecover members are recessed as at 24 to provide the extensionlugs 25 whichembrace the free extremity of the end members 20 in orderto properly brace and strengthen the case when in set up condition.

A common means is provided for retaining the cover on the caserwhen setup or collapsed and said means includes the hasps 26 hinged as at 27 tothe outer side edges of the cover. The permanent side sections 13 areeach provided with the staples 28 corresponding in number to the numberof hasps on each side of the cover and the free outer sides of the freeextremities of the foldable sections 14L provided with a similar numberof staples-29. Each liasp is provided with a pair of spaced transversereceiving slots 30 and 31 which are designed to: respectively engagewith the staples 28 and 29 to retain the cover in place when the case iseither in its collapsed or set up condition. In order to provide anadditional means for retaining the box in set up condition" after'the'cover is removed, the securing bolts 32 are provided and insertable Vvthrough openings 33 provided in the toldable side sections which aredesigned to reg ister with the threaded openings 34 in the side of theend members 20. hen collapsed these bolts are housed by the-pocket P inorder to prevent their loss.

Inorder to further strengthen the structure of the case when in set upor folded condition, a longitudinal cleat 35 is formed on the under sideof the cover adjacent one edge thereof which braces oneoit the foldableside sections when the box is set up and which supports one edge of thecover when the same is folded. In order to accommodate the staples 29of'the foldable side sections to permit of the proper folding of thebox, the :panel 16 of one of the foldable side sections is slotted as at36 and the cover as at 37. In practice it may be found desirable toemploy removable wedges or plugs 38 which are adapted to be inserted inthe staples after the hasps are arranged there over and if desired, saidplugs may be secured by a chain 39 to the cover to prevent their loss.In order to further allow for a compact folding of the case one of thepermanent side sections 13 is preferably lower than the opposite sectionas illustrated.

In use of the case of the foldable side sections 14 are swung intoalignment with the permanent side sections 13 and the end members 17 areswung outwardly into alignment with the ribs 19; the bolts 32 are thenpassed through the aligned openings 33 and 3d and the threaded extremityof said bolt engaged with the threads of the latter opening; the coveris then arranged in place with the extension lugs embracing the freeextremity oil" the end members 17, the ends of the cover member restingon the cleats 21 and the upper free edges of the foldable side sections,with the cleat 35 bracing one of the said foldable side sections. Theslots 31 of the hasps are now positioned, over the staples 2S) and theplugs 38 inserted. The case is now set up and ready for shipment withits contents.

When ready for reshipment the bolts 32 are withdrawn and placed withinthe case adjacent the ends; the end members 17 are folded in until thecleats 21 engage the bottom thereby forming the pocket P; the foldableside section let hinged to the lower permanent section is now foldedover and rests upon the previously folded end members; the remainingside section is then folded over the previously folded side section andthe cover is arranged in place as clearly illustrated in Figures 5, 6and 7 of the drawings. The cleat 35 serves as a means for supporting oneside of the cover when the case is folded. The slots 30 of the hasps 26are now arranged over the staples 28 of the permanent side sections. Thewedges or plugs 38 are then applied to retain the hasps over thestaples.

While there has been shown and described a single and preferredembodiment of the invention, no limitation is necessarily made to theprecise structural details which may be varied or modified in so far asthey fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A collapsible case, including a bottom. end andside members secured thereto for inward swinging movements, a removablecover and a common means for securing the same in collapsed or set upcondition, the said cover having recessed ends adapted to embrace thefree edge of the end members when set up, and a transverse cleat on saidend members adapted to support the ends of the cover when setup andconstituting when collapsed, means for spacing the end members from thebottom to define pockets between the bottom and end members.

2. A collapsible case comprising a bottom, inwardly iioldable end walls,side walls each having a permanent section and an im wardly foldablesection. a cover member, means respectively 011 the permanent andfoldable side sections, a common means on the cover member adapted torespectively coact with the means on the side sections for retaining thecrate in its collapsed or set up condition, and means on the freeextremity of the end walls serving to support the ends of the covermember when the case is in a set up condition and adapted to co-act withthe bottom wall and the permanent sections of the side wall to define apocket when the case is collapsed.

3. A collapsible case comprising a bottom, inwardly foldable end wallshaving inwardly projecting cleats extending transversely and positionedinwardly from the free extremity thereof, side walls each having apermanent section and an inwardly foldalole section a cover, and acommon means for securing the same in collapsed or set up condition, thesaid inwardly projecting 0 eats on the end walls adapted to support theopposite ends of the cover when the crate is set up and designed whenthe crate is folded to co-act with the bottom wall and the foldablesections of the side wall to define pockets at the opposite ends of thefolded crate, as and for the purpose specified.

GEORGE B. SEXTON.

